1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pickup box lights and more specifically it relates to a tailgate controlled light system for automatically illuminating the interior of a pickup box upon opening of a tailgate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pickup box lights have been in use for years. A conventional pickup box light is mounted to the upper rear portion of the cab of the pickup and has a manual control switch for users to operate that controls the light.
The main disadvantage of conventional pickup box lights is that they do not automatically operate to illuminate the interior of the pickup box during loading/unloading of cargo. Another disadvantage of conventional pickup box lights is that require the user to physically locate and manipulate a switch to turn the lights on. Another problem with conventional pickup box lights is that when a pickup box cover is utilized the light is blocked by the cover if the cover is closed.
Examples of patented devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,400 to Currie; U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,068 to Farmer, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,717 to Anderson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,051 to Galanski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,525 to Sheehy; U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,893 to Finneyfrock; U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,761 to Munsey; U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,629 to Brown; U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,006 to Arndt; U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,821 to Beliakoff; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,538 to Harris.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for automatically illuminating the interior of a pickup box upon opening of a tailgate. Conventional pickup box lights do not allow for automatic operation thereof based upon the opening of a tailgate.
In these respects, the tailgate controlled light system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of automatically illuminating the interior of a pickup box upon opening of a tailgate.